Improvement in priming metallic cartridges



I T. T. S. LAIDLY.

V Cartridge. No. 55,676. Patented June 19,1866

as be'ihre.

UNITED 1 STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THEODORE r. s. LAIDLEY, 0F srarseriann MassAoHusE'r'rs.

IMPROVEMENT IN PRIMING .METALLIC CARTRIDGES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 55,676, dated June 19,1866. n

, views of the anvil Figs; 5 and 6, views of the anvit with thepercussion-cap in place. "Fig. 7 represents the cartridge-case afterfiring. V Similarlerters t referenccindicate like parts in the differentfigures.

The nature of my invention consists in inserting in the cartridge-casean anvil, A, punched from sheet metal, and receiving a percussioncap,and holding the anvil firmly in its place by means of a shoulder formedbelow the head of the cartridge by reducing the diameter of the case aportion .of its length.

1 The cartridge is fired from a barrel, the cham- Eer of which isthefrustum ot'acone. The case onthrmsto'the chamber after the explosion, Ithe shoulder disappears, and the anvil can be withdrawn, recapped,inserted, and made fast,

The advantages that [cl aim for thiscartridge are, the firmness withwhich the anvil is held in place, thereby securing certainty of fire thesmall weight of the anvil; the small volumeit talcesinthecartridge-case;the ease with which it is taken out, recapped,and replaced, therebyenabling the sportsman to use the same cartridge-case several times, andthus diminishing thecost of his; ammunition.

To enable those skilledin the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe the mode of making it. v

Punch out from sheet metal the anvil A, of the proper width to allow itto enter the cartri'd ge-case with a snugfit. Itsthickness should besuch as to resisttbe blow ofthehammer without yielding. Put on apercussion-cap, press the anvil lo the bottom of the cartridge-case,which has already been drawn and headed, force the caseinto adie whichis about three orfour hundredths of an inch smaller in diameterthan thecartridge-case, until the shoulder thus formed is brought against theanvil. The case is then ready for the charge of powder and ball. Reamout the chamber of the gun to a uniform taper, so that the cartridgewill just enter with a snug fit at its two extremi ties. After thecartridge hasbeen fired pull out with a pair of pliers the anvil, renewthe cap, replace the anvil in the bottom' of the case, and force thecase into the die, reducing the diameter as before. forming a shoulderfor the anvil to rest on. In this way the cartridgecase may be used overa number of times-as many as ten or twelve times.

This style of cartrid'ge'can be used to great advantage where the spaceoccupied by the powder is considerable in length, as in cartridges ofsmall caliber with large charges.

I am aware that cartridges have been niade by ,securingthe anvil in thehead of the cartridge-case, the head being formed by reducing the restof the case to a smaller size. Car- ;tridges made in this way cannot bereloaded, like that of mine above described. and which possesses thisgreatadvantage.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

, The combination of the cartridge-case with an anvil, A, which is ofsuch shape that it holds thepercussion-cap in a central position withinthe case against the head, and is held firmly in its place. by'restingagainst a shoulder formed in the case below the head after the anvil hasbeen inserted in the manner and for the purpose above described.

T. T. S. LAIDLEY. Witnesses:

R. G. SHURTLEFF, GEO. W. WATERS.

